


Heaven's Wing

by A_Hollow_Descent



Category: Octopath Traveler (Video Game)
Genre: Battle, Blood and Injury, Fluffy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild Gore, POV is all over the place, Tears, i dont know how to do medical stuff okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-27
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-06-17 07:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15456117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Hollow_Descent/pseuds/A_Hollow_Descent
Summary: Alfyn and Therion are out of money, so its off to the Carrion Caves to look for some treasure! Go in, take everything valuable you can see, and get out. That was the plan. The heist was going as planned and they had taken everything, they were about to wrap it up when Therion sees a lone chest in a clearing...





	Heaven's Wing

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by an angst otp prompt on tumblr.

Therion stared into his money pouch, only a couple hundred of leaves adorned the insides. Good enough to buy a room for one night, but not enough for the meals the next day.

He assumed the apothecary’s budget was the same.

They needed money, and quick. There was an easier way out of this predicament, stealing. But thanks to Therion’s virtuous teammate Alfyn, he talked him into doing something different.

Though what they ended up doing was not quite what Alfyn had in mind.

“Hey, Therion, are you sure about this?” Alfyn said, looking up the cave entrance in front of them. “This could get nasty real quick if we’re not careful…”

“What? You scared? It’s just a cave.” Therion smirked at his companion.

“When did I say I was scared? It’s just that the risks isn’t worth the rewards here.” Alfyn defended himself. 

“So...You’re scared?” Therion teased him.

“Therion I just said…”

“Okay okay! Fine, I hear you, you don’t think this is worth it. I get it.” Therion raised his hands. “But this is a fine chance to get some money into our pockets without resorting to thieving, as you wanted it.”

“Right, but I don’t think this is the right way of getting money the honest way…” He said. “If there really is treasure in here, then isn’t there also a chance of everything being looted already?”

“Don’t you worry Alfyn,” Therion grinned, patting Alfyn’s shoulder. “The monsters in there are so dangerous, local thieves and townspeople don’t dare go near it. The Carrion Caves is not a place to be reckoned with, they say.”

“But isn’t that more of a reason  _ not _ to go in?” Alfyn pointed out.

“Hey, you’re the one who suggested we go beat up some monsters in hopes of them dropping money. Where else should we go than the place with the toughest monsters in the area?” Therion shrugged.

“Why, with your healing skills and my thieving skills, we’ll make it out of there alive and with heavier pockets.” He persuaded him. “Just you wait.”

“Hmm, I’m still not sure…” Alfyn hesitated.

“Is that so…” Therion sighed and threw his money pouch in the direction of the cave’s mouth. “Oh well if you look at that. I dropped my pouch. Whoopsies! I’ll go get it.” He said, waltzing over and picking it up. 

He took one look at Alfyn and then dashed into the cave.

“Catch me if you can, medicine man!” His voice echoed as he ran.

“Ah, wait! Therion!” Alfyn yelled, after realizing what he had done. “Wait for me!”

“You’ll have to be faster than that if you want to out run those monsters!” Therion called back, not looking behind him.

They ran through the cave until Therion stopped in a grassy clearing, right beside a purple treasure chest. Alfyn stumbled into the clearing, stopping in front of Therion.

“Took you long enough.” He smirked, watching the apothecary catch his breath.

“That...was a dirty trick…Therion.” Alfyn huffed. “Not...fair!”

“Eh, a dirty trick it may be but at least it got you in here.” Therion gloated. “And what luck! An unopened chest.”

He knocked on the top of the it.

“Told you no one bothered to come in this cave.” He said. “This baby is all ours, as well as all the other treasures in here.”

“Huh, well, maybe this was worth it.” Alfyn said, straightening up. 

“Let’s open this bad boy up…” Therion said, pulling out lockpicks. He kneeled down in front of the chest and fiddled with the it. Alfyn looked over Therion’s shoulder to see what he was doing, but he was keeping his hands well hidden.

“What?” He asked him. 

“Oh, nothing.” Alfyn said, taking a step back. 

“Then stop looking at me and keep yourself busy okay? Watch out for monsters or something like that.” Therion told him, still focused on the chest’s lock.

“...Alrighty then.” Alfyn sighed, turning away from him and looking around the cave. It was grand and large, with light coming in from an open wall. There was little patches of grass all over the cavern floor, proving that life was sustainable here.

Alfyn spotted something colorful in the grass. He went over and picked it up, a large iridescent feather. It was bigger than his hand and was hard like steel. Sharp like it too. Staring at the feather made a shiver run down his spine.

“Hey, Therion…” Alfyn started. “I really think we shouldn’t be here.”

“Again with that? Come on, we’re already here, might as well make the best of it.” Therion snorted, the lock of the chest clicking open. It creaked open and Therion dove for whatever was inside it.

He pulled back, holding a small nut in the middle of his palm.

The both of them just stared at it.

A nut.

Really.

“Oh, well. It’s better than nothing.” Therion broke in. He popped the nut in his mouth. “Free food.” 

“Therion, you don’t know how long that’s been in there!” Alfyn scolded him. “It could be rotten for all you know.”

“Nuts can rot?” Therion said, swallowing it. “Too bad, it’s gone now.”

“Oh no, Therion.” Alfyn sighed. The thief was usually reckless with what he eats. “Floor food is best food.” He told him one time. He was seriously going to get sick with those eating habits.

“Wanna turn back now?” He suggested to him. “This is feeling like a lost cause now.”

“Whatever, so one chest was useless. There’s still a bunch more in here. Don’t look so down.” He said, picking out in between his teeth. “Come on, I saw another chest somewhere above us.”

Therion lead the way through the cave, following the thin paths made of crumbling rock. At some times Alfyn thought he was going to fall right through the delicate rock.

“Here it is.” Therion stopped and went to open the red chest. Alfyn stood by and watched him do his thing. While he was staring at the back of Therion’s grey head, a flash of white zipped past his eyes.

“Wha…!?” He stumbled backwards. Another flash of white went by his side, cutting deep into his forearm. He clutched the wound in his hand, pain throbbing in his arm. 

“Therion! Watch out!” Alfyn warned him.

“Alfyn, what’s-” Therion began. “Whoa!”

He rolled to the side and yanked out his dagger. “Alfyn, get your butt over here!” He called out to him.

He hurried over to Therion’s side, taking out his axe. The white blurs turned out to be a flock of ash ravens, a way more formidable enemy then the cliff birdians outside of the cave, though smaller in size.

They whizzed around them, cawing menacingly.

“Therion, there’s no way we can beat these.” Alfyn whispered to him, not making any sudden movements. He counted at least five of them, way too many to take are of safely. The only choice was to run.

“On the count of three, you make a break for it, okay?” Therion told him, almost reading his mind.

“What are you going to do-”

“I’m going to create a diversion, don’t you worry about it. I’ll be right behind you as soon as I do it.” He explained.

“Alright. I trust you.” Alfyn said.

He trusted him. Therion felt something pang in his chest when he thought about that phrase. He didn’t let that get to him.

“One…” A bird flew too close for comfort.

“Two…” Therion slowly sheathed his dagger and reached into their items pouch.

“Three!” He threw a wind soulstone to the ground, the stone shattered and released a harsh whirlwind. The birds flew up into the air, tossing around in the rush of air.

Alfyn and Therion scrambled away from the hoard, watching the soulstone do it’s thing. The ravens dispersed and forgot about them after that. 

“...Told you this was going to get nasty.” Alfyn said.

“Alfyn…” Therion sighed, standing up and helping Alfyn up. “Come on, let’s go get that treasure we left behind.”

“Wait, I gotta patch myself up, can you wait a bit?” Alfyn said, dusting himself off and showing his arm to Therion.

Therion squinted at the cuts that decorated Alfyn’s arm. “Those look nasty…  But be quick about it, I wanna get this heist done as soon as possible now.”

He retrieved the treasure in the chest, a suit of armor. 

Alfyn applied an antibacterial ointment on his wounds and bandaged them up. He was putting away the vial when he noticed a gash on Therion’s side.

“Therion, you’re wounded.” Alfyn pointed out. “Here, lemme take a look at that-”

Therion waved him away. “It’s alright. I don’t need immediate help, I’ll be fine for a little while longer.”

“It’ll be dangerous if it gets infected Therion.” Alfyn informed him.

“Yeah I know, you can look after it when we get the treasure and get out of here.” He reassured him. “There’s only a few chests left, I think I’ll be good for now.”

“Okay… If you say so…” Alfyn said doubtfully. He knew that Therion was trying to act tough, he saw him silently grit his teeth in pain. 

It hurt Alfyn to see Therion push him away. 

The trip to the next chest had no incidents, inside the chest was tens of thousands of leaves. Therion was overjoyed at the sight of all that money, the money that now belonged to them.

“Ha ha! Alfyn, come help me gather all this money!” Therion called him, coins spilling out of his money pouch. 

It took awhile to find a way to carry all the money, both their money pouches being relatively small. They settled it by putting the rest of the money in Alfyn’s satchel.

It was quite heavy after that.

“Everything is collected!” Therion laughed, playing with the heavy money pouch in his hand. “New armor, new weapons, tons of money, this is why I wanted to come here!”

Alfyn chuckled at how giddy Therion was and slipped out his adventure journal. He wrote down what they did, feeling like this heist was something he would want to remember later.

He was almost done the entry when Therion spoke up. “Wait, we didn’t get all of it. There’s still that one.” He noted, pointing at a dirty red chest sitting in the corner of a large clearing.

“Oh, go get it then.” Alfyn told him, finishing up the entry.

“Come with me, I got a bad feeling about it.” Therion said, putting down his loot and approaching the clearing. Alfyn put away his journal and joined Therion.

He was right, just standing at the border of the clearing put him on the edge. The main thing Alfyn noticed, was the multitude of large iridescent feathers strewn across the ground.

They stepped into the clearing, the heavy feeling of a presence was all around them. 

“I think something is here…” Alfyn mused. A huge mass of color swooped in and barely missed the two of them. “Scratch that. Something is here.”

“Catch me.” Therion muttered, wavering on the spot.

“What?” Alfyn said before Therion collapsed. Alfyn dove in and caught him before he hit the ground. Therion’s breathing was ragged and pained, he was holding his side, blood oozing from under his hand. 

The monster took a huge chunk out of him.

“Damn it… It got m-me. Fuck..!” He grimaced. “It was a… a… Heavenwing! There’s no way we can fight it…”

“Therion your side… I’ll do something, just hang on!” Alfyn tried to reassure him, or was he trying to reassure himself? That Therion wasn’t going to die. That he was able to beat the beast. His heart beated in his ears, eyes glued onto Therion’s wound.

“...flyn! Alfyn!” Therion’s voice resounded. “Alfyn..! You have to leave me… I’m a dead man.” 

“No, no way…” Alfyn shook his head. “You’re not dying on my hands.”

Therion looked over to the side, the large blue and purple bird that attacked him was landing in the clearing. “Well, whatever you’re going to do, you better do it quick… That thing is coming for us!”

The bird paced around in the clearing, not taking it’s beady eyes off of them.  It screeched, its call loud and thunderous. 

“Seems like we have some company.” Alfyn muttered, looking at the monster near them. “Don’t worry Therion, I’ll get us out of here. I have a plan.”

“Alfyn… Don’t, it’s dangerous!” He gasped. But Alfyn wouldn’t listen to reason, he rested Therion against a rock.

“I’ll tend to your every word when this thing is dealt with.” He declared, strutting towards the bird.

“Alfyn, you can’t push yourself like this! Let’s get out of here!” Therion called out to him. But his voice was drowned out by more screeching.

The bird sized him up when Alfyn approached it, both of them did not move a muscle. All was silent. 

“Take this!” He yelled and threw a bottle of blinding dust at the bird’s face. The bird staggered backwards, if birds could cover their faces in pain, it sure was doing it. 

Alfyn rushed over to Therion, “Come on, come on! Let’s go!” He exclaimed, hurriedly bringing Therion’s arm around his shoulder. 

They ran down the path so fast they almost fell down at one point, Alfyn had to keep Therion’s wound in mind the entire time they were going down, as he wasn’t looking so well at the moment.

Finally they made it back at the cave’s entrance. Alfyn cleaned Therion’s wound, stopping the heavy bleeding and clearing out the dirt. It was a rushed job, but it would suffice for the time being.

Therion was able to breathe easily again. “...Alfyn.”

“Y-yeah?” He answered, stuffing the bandages back into his satchel. “What is it? Does it still hurt?”

“Nah, it’s fine.” He reassured him, “It’s just… you looked different, back when you were fighting that monster.”

“What do you mean?” Alfyn pondered. 

“You didn’t look like the sweet apothecary like I know you are.” Therion admitted. “You looked… aggressive. You didn’t listen to me.”

“Therion…” Alfyn trailed off. He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t himself at that time, and he knew the reason why. “I-I was so scared…”

“Scared of what?” Therion asked him.

“The thought of you dying.” He admitted. “I’ve seen many of my patients die in my line of work, and it hurts me every single time. Death takes everyone one day, but I felt like there was something I could’ve done to keep death at bay for one more day…”

“So, when you saw me wounded…” Therion mused.

“It hurt me so much. I couldn’t stand the thought of you being dead, and it being my fault. I couldn’t stand the thought of me leaving you to die, and being all alone. I couldn’t stand the thought of me living my life without you..!” Alfyn finished, sniffling and tearing up at the last sentence.

He squeezed Therion’s hand.

“I want to see you living each and everyday, for as long as I live.” He continued. “...Maybe you don’t feel the same way but I… I love you.”

Therion’s eyes widened in surprise. “You mean it?”

“Yeah.” He confirmed, not meeting his gaze. He sniffed and took another shaky breath, “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over me… It’s alright, you don’t have to say anything. I already know your answer.”

“...Then you already know that I love you too?” Therion said, giving him a little smirk. Although he treated the apothecary rather badly at times, there was no denying his true feelings.

He bet Alfyn felt them too.

“...Oh Therion!” Alfyn cried, pulling him in for a hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I thought you hated me all this time!”

“If I hated you, would I keep you around?” Therion hummed, wrapping his arms around the taller man.

“Therion…” Alfyn smiled, he pulled away from their hug. “Come on, let’s go back to town.”

“Agreed.” Therion said, wrapping an arm around Alfyn’s shoulder.

A single iridescent feather danced in the wind as the two travelers walked away from the cave. Though today almost marked Therion’s end, it also was the beginning of his new life. A life where he felt something he didn’t in a long time: love.

**Author's Note:**

> this was hard to write. I'm sorry for all the inconsistencies and how little fluff there is (well, how little fluff there was until the ending). (I'm also sorry for how rushed the confession was.) I struggled a lot with this, so I hope all my struggles turned out to be worth it. Thank you for reading this!
> 
> (I'll write a fic with the other character's in it one day, but today is not that day.)


End file.
